1    We will before the walls of Rome tomorrow
2    Set down our host. My partner in this action,
3    You must report to the Volscian lords, how plainly
4    I have borne this business.

5    Only their ends
6    You have respected; stopp'd your ears against
7    The general suit of Rome; never admitted
8    A private whisper, no, not with such friends
9    That thought them sure of you.

10   This last old man,
11   Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,
12   Loved me above the measure of a father;
13   Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
14   Was to send him; for whose old love I have,
15   Though I show'd sourly to him, once more offer'd
16   The first conditions, which they did refuse
17   And cannot now accept; to grace him only
18   That thought he could do more, a very little
19   I have yielded to: fresh embassies and suits,
20   Nor from the state nor private friends, hereafter
21   Will I lend ear to. Ha! what shout is this?
Shout within
22   Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow
23   In the same time 'tis made? I will not.
24   My wife comes foremost; then the honour'd mould
25   Wherein this trunk was framed, and in her hand
26   The grandchild to her blood. But, out, affection!
27   All bond and privilege of nature, break!
28   Let it be virtuous to be obstinate.
29   What is that curt'sy worth? or those doves' eyes,
30   Which can make gods forsworn? I melt, and am not
31   Of stronger earth than others. My mother bows;
32   As if Olympus to a molehill should
33   In supplication nod: and my young boy
34   Hath an aspect of intercession, which
35   Great nature cries 'Deny not.' let the Volsces
36   Plough Rome and harrow Italy: I'll never
37   Be such a gosling to obey instinct, but stand,
38   As if a man were author of himself
39   And knew no other kin.

40   My lord and husband!

41   These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome.

42   The sorrow that delivers us thus changed
43   Makes you think so.

44   Like a dull actor now,
45   I have forgot my part, and I am out,
46   Even to a full disgrace. Best of my flesh,
47   Forgive my tyranny; but do not say
48   For that 'Forgive our Romans.' O, a kiss
49   Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge!
50   Now, by the jealous queen of heaven, that kiss
51   I carried from thee, dear; and my true lip
52   Hath virgin'd it e'er since. You gods! I prate,
53   And the most noble mother of the world
54   Leave unsaluted: sink, my knee, i' the earth;
Kneels
55   Of thy deep duty more impression show
56   Than that of common sons.

57   O, stand up blest!
58   Whilst, with no softer cushion than the flint,
59   I kneel before thee; and unproperly
60   Show duty, as mistaken all this while
61   Between the child and parent.

62   What is this?
63   Your knees to me? to your corrected son?
64   Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach
65   Fillip the stars; then let the mutinous winds
66   Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery sun;
67   Murdering impossibility, to make
68   What cannot be, slight work.

69   Thou art my warrior;
70   I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady?

71   The noble sister of Publicola,
72   The moon of Rome, chaste as the icicle
73   That's curdied by the frost from purest snow
74   And hangs on Dian's temple: dear Valeria!

75   This is a poor epitome of yours,
76   Which by the interpretation of full time
77   May show like all yourself.

78   The god of soldiers,
79   With the consent of supreme Jove, inform
80   Thy thoughts with nobleness; that thou mayst prove
81   To shame unvulnerable, and stick i' the wars
82   Like a great sea-mark, standing every flaw,
83   And saving those that eye thee!

84   Your knee, sirrah.

85   That's my brave boy!

86   Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself,
87   Are suitors to you.

88   I beseech you, peace:
89   Or, if you'ld ask, remember this before:
90   The thing I have forsworn to grant may never
91   Be held by you denials. Do not bid me
92   Dismiss my soldiers, or capitulate
93   Again with Rome's mechanics: tell me not
94   Wherein I seem unnatural: desire not
95   To ally my rages and revenges with
96   Your colder reasons.

97   O, no more, no more!
98   You have said you will not grant us any thing;
99   For we have nothing else to ask, but that
100  Which you deny already: yet we will ask;
101  That, if you fail in our request, the blame
102  May hang upon your hardness: therefore hear us.

103  Aufidius, and you Volsces, mark; for we'll
104  Hear nought from Rome in private. Your request?

105  Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment
106  And state of bodies would bewray what life
107  We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself
108  How more unfortunate than all living women
109  Are we come hither: since that thy sight,
110  which should
111  Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance
112  with comforts,
113  Constrains them weep and shake with fear and sorrow;
114  Making the mother, wife and child to see
115  The son, the husband and the father tearing
116  His country's bowels out. And to poor we
117  Thine enmity's most capital: thou barr'st us
118  Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort
119  That all but we enjoy; for how can we,
120  Alas, how can we for our country pray.
121  Whereto we are bound, together with thy victory,
122  Whereto we are bound? alack, or we must lose
123  The country, our dear nurse, or else thy person,
124  Our comfort in the country. We must find
125  An evident calamity, though we had
126  Our wish, which side should win: for either thou
127  Must, as a foreign recreant, be led
128  With manacles thorough our streets, or else
129  triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin,
130  And bear the palm for having bravely shed
131  Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son,
132  I purpose not to wait on fortune till
133  These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee
134  Rather to show a noble grace to both parts
135  Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner
136  March to assault thy country than to tread--
137  Trust to't, thou shalt not--on thy mother's womb,
138  That brought thee to this world.

139  Ay, and mine,
140  That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name
141  Living to time.

142  A' shall not tread on me;
143  I'll run away till I am bigger, but then I'll fight.

144  Not of a woman's tenderness to be,
145  Requires nor child nor woman's face to see.
146  I have sat too long.

147  Nay, go not from us thus.
148  If it were so that our request did tend
149  To save the Romans, thereby to destroy
150  The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us,
151  As poisonous of your honour: no; our suit
152  Is that you reconcile them: while the Volsces
153  May say 'This mercy we have show'd;' the Romans,
154  'This we received;' and each in either side
155  Give the all-hail to thee and cry 'Be blest
156  For making up this peace!' Thou know'st, great son,
157  The end of war's uncertain, but this certain,
158  That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit
159  Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name,
160  Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;
161  Whose chronicle thus writ: 'The man was noble,
162  But with his last attempt he wiped it out;
163  Destroy'd his country, and his name remains
164  To the ensuing age abhorr'd.' Speak to me, son:
165  Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour,
166  To imitate the graces of the gods;
167  To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air,
168  And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt
169  That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?
170  Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man
171  Still to remember wrongs? Daughter, speak you:
172  He cares not for your weeping. Speak thou, boy:
173  Perhaps thy childishness will move him more
174  Than can our reasons. There's no man in the world
175  More bound to 's mother; yet here he lets me prate
176  Like one i' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life
177  Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy,
178  When she, poor hen, fond of no second brood,
179  Has cluck'd thee to the wars and safely home,
180  Loaden with honour. Say my request's unjust,
181  And spurn me back: but if it be not so,
182  Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee,
183  That thou restrain'st from me the duty which
184  To a mother's part belongs. He turns away:
185  Down, ladies; let us shame him with our knees.
186  To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride
187  Than pity to our prayers. Down: an end;
188  This is the last: so we will home to Rome,
189  And die among our neighbours. Nay, behold 's:
190  This boy, that cannot tell what he would have
191  But kneels and holds up bands for fellowship,
192  Does reason our petition with more strength
193  Than thou hast to deny 't. Come, let us go:
194  This fellow had a Volscian to his mother;
195  His wife is in Corioli and his child
196  Like him by chance. Yet give us our dispatch:
197  I am hush'd until our city be a-fire,
198  And then I'll speak a little.

199  O mother, mother!
200  What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope,
201  The gods look down, and this unnatural scene
202  They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O!
203  You have won a happy victory to Rome;
204  But, for your son,--believe it, O, believe it,
205  Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd,
206  If not most mortal to him. But, let it come.
207  Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars,
208  I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius,
209  Were you in my stead, would you have heard
210  A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius?

211  I was moved withal.

212  I dare be sworn you were:
213  And, sir, it is no little thing to make
214  Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir,
215  What peace you'll make, advise me: for my part,
216  I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; and pray you,
217  Stand to me in this cause. O mother! wife!

Aside
218   I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and
219  thy honour
220  At difference in thee: out of that I'll work
221  Myself a former fortune.

222  Ay, by and by;
To VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, &c
223  But we will drink together; and you shall bear
224  A better witness back than words, which we,
225  On like conditions, will have counter-seal'd.
226  Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve
227  To have a temple built you: all the swords
228  In Italy, and her confederate arms,
229  Could not have made this peace.